The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-10
A STRANGE STORY.
A New York Murderer's Heiress Dis
covered as New Orleans Nurse.
From the Nesc Orleans Picay,lae,

From the NeO Orleans Picayuae.
During the year 1874, and years
prior to that q saloon in Algiers was
; owned by German named John Lo.
rens, widower, who had one child,
} a girl, 7 years Of age in 1874. Lo.
rens had met with i'll luck. First he
had lost his wife Fredericka, whose
maiden name was Foegele, and soon
afterwards his little son, 2 years of
age. Mrs. Lorens died in 1871, and
after that the care Of the children
which devolved on Lorens proved
extremely irksome. Business did
not prosper with him as he desired.
either, and probably he concluded to
leaye the city. His little girLAe>
placed in the Protestant Episcopal
Home on Jackson street, and then
bade The city adieu forever.
The child's name was Elizabeth
Catharine Lorens, and for some time
after her father left the city she con-
tinued to receive letters from him
dated in various parts Of the world
At last letters postmarked in South
Africa were received, but in 1888
these also ceased, and nothing more
was heard of him here.
The girl, who went by the name of
Elizabeth or Lizzie, grew healthy
and strong and was obedient, tracta-
bic and Intelligent. Her life passed
I uneventfully until two years ago,
when lady called at her home TO en-.
gage a nursemaid, and being inn
pressed favorably with the appear
snce of Elizabeth, determined to en-
gage her services. The girl was
quite willing, nay, anxious, to go
with the lady, and the arrangements
were speedily consummated and
Elizabeth Lorens became nurse at
Mr.. W. Blake's residence, No. 999
St. Charles avenue, between Con.
stantlnople and Marengo streets.
Elizabeth obtained good home,
and the lady of the house was kind,
considerate and by no means task
master. Elizabeth had plenty Of
leisure time to go out during the day
when she had occasion to go out;
but the lady OF the house made it q
rule, from which she never deviated,
that all her servants should remain
indoors after dark. Elizabeth was
thus kept out of reach of harm, and
being naturally of good disposition,
she became a modest, unassuming
girl, without care or trouble. She is
now about to enter her twentieth
year, her birthday occurring on the
End of November next. She is 8
stout, ruddy eomplexioned young Ia
dy, with brown hair and deep blue
eyes.
Of her fathers whereabouts Eliza:
both knew nothing, not having heard
anything Of him for nine years. A
few days ago horrible murder and
suicide was committed in q ci-
gar store in New York city. John
Lorens. the proprietor Of the store,
murdered one of his employees and
then committed suicide. He left
letter addressed to the Coroner, in
which he said that he had at one time
kept the tire.proof Cofee.house in
New Orleans, and had left there and
gone to the diamond fields in South
Africa. He had been lucky and had
accumulated considerable wealth,
and had on deposit in the Bank Of
England 42S,300. or about $4,000
IN American money. This he had
bequeathed to his daughter Eliza
beth, who was somewhere in the city
of New Orleans.
This fact was published in the Pic
ay',ne yesterday morning and one Of
the other servant girls in the house
read of it and at once jumped to the
| conclusion that the heiress and Eliz-
abeth, her fellow servant, were one
and the same. A comparison of
dates and names confirmed the girls
suspicious and she told Elizabeth
what she surmised. The girl took
the startling news quite philosophic.
ally and calmly related the facts to
Mr.. Blake. Further investigation
developed the fact that the girl had
been baptized in St. Paufs Lutheran
Church on Burgundy street, formerly
Craps street, in the Third District,
and that her fathers name was John
Lorens. The letters she had received
from him had unfortunately been
mislaid, but search is now being
made for them and they will doubt
less be found.
Last evening reporter of the re
ayune visited the house Of Mr. Blake
and the heiress answered the bell
She declined to be interviewed, but
referred all inquisitors to Mr.. Blake,
her employer.
There is no doubt as to the identity
of the girl and she will have but little
difficulty in proving it. The only
question is whether the amount she
is to fall heiress to is correctly re-
ported, which, if true, will Uake her
Independent for the remainder of her
lifetime if '1diclously invested.
Judging from tne girls appearance
and the good report made of her by
Mrs. Blake, Elizabeth Lorens GER
tainly deserved her good fortune.
Only a Hoax!